Optical communication method, light source host, endoscope and optical communication system

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical communication method, a light source host, an endoscope and an optical communication system. And modulating the target illumination light based on the to-be-transmitted control instruction to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, and transmitting the modulated illumination light signal to an endoscope in the endoscope system, so that the endoscope demodulates the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction. In the embodiment of the invention, the to-be-transmitted control instruction is modulated to the target illumination light in the light source host, the control instruction is transmitted by using the modulated illumination light signal under the condition of avoiding influence on the illumination light, an additional downlink communication light source does not need to be added, and the design complexity and cost of an endoscope system are reduced. And the light source host and the endoscope can be completely separated through a target illumination light transmission control instruction, the related optical and mechanical structure design of the light source host when a single-channel two-way assembly is adopted is simplified, the characteristics of good water resistance, corrosion resistance and the like are achieved, and the requirements for washing, disinfecting, extinguishing and the like of the endoscope body are better met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of endoscopes, and in particular to an optical communication method, a light source host, an endoscope and an optical communication system. Background Art

[0002] The endoscope system includes an endoscope on the body side and a light source host, an image processing device and a display on the host side, wherein the light source host and the endoscope can be connected through their respective connecting parts. On this basis, the light beam emitted by the light source host is transmitted to the measured tissue in the cavity through the endoscope, and the light source host can send some control instructions to the endoscope, such as a shooting instruction instructing the endoscope to take an image of the measured tissue. The endoscope then transmits the captured image to the light source host so that the image processing device can process the captured image and display it on the display.

[0003] Currently, the light source host and the endoscope mainly communicate using a symmetrical single-channel bidirectional assembly (BOSA). However, optical communication through BOSA requires the addition of additional light sources and specific optical path components, making the endoscope system structure design complex and costly. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an optical communication method, a light source host, an endoscope and an optical communication system that can simplify the structural design of the endoscope system and reduce costs during optical communication in order to address the above technical problems.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an optical communication method, which is applied to a light source host in an endoscope system; the method comprises:

[0006] modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal;

[0007] The modulated illumination light signal is transmitted to an endoscope in the endoscope system, so that the endoscope demodulates the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction.

[0008] In one embodiment, the light source host includes a plurality of light source devices, and different light source devices may emit illumination lights of different colors;

[0009] The method of transmitting the modulated illumination light signal to an endoscope in the endoscope system comprises:

[0010] Mixing a plurality of colors of illumination lights including the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a composite light signal;

[0011] The synthesized light signal is transmitted to the endoscope, so that the endoscope extracts the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal and demodulates the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction.

[0012] In one embodiment, transmitting the synthesized light signal to the endoscope so that the endoscope extracts the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal comprises:

[0013] The synthesized light signal is transmitted to the endoscope so that the endoscope can filter out the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal through a filter or through a target photodetector.

[0014] In one embodiment, the light source host includes a plurality of light source devices, and different light source devices can emit illumination lights of different colors; the light source host includes a plurality of illumination modes, wherein each of the illumination modes uses illumination lights emitted by at least one of the light source devices, and the illumination lights used in different illumination modes are not completely the same;

[0015] The target illumination light is illumination light determined based on illumination lights used in the plurality of illumination modes.

[0016] In one embodiment, the target illumination light is illumination light determined according to illumination lights used in a plurality of illumination modes, including:

[0017] The target illumination light is illumination light used in all the illumination modes.

[0018] In one embodiment, the target illumination light is illumination light determined according to illumination lights used in a plurality of illumination modes, including:

[0019] The target illumination light is the illumination light most used by all the illumination modes among all the illumination lights included in the currently used illumination modes.

[0020] In one embodiment, the light source host includes multiple lighting modes, wherein each lighting mode uses lighting light emitted by at least one light source device, and the lighting light used in different lighting modes is not completely the same;

[0021] Before modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted, the method further includes:

[0022] According to the currently used lighting mode, the target lighting light is selected from a plurality of preset lighting lights; the target lighting light is the lighting light required to be used in the currently used lighting mode.

[0023] In one of the embodiments, the target illumination light is red light, blue light or green light.

[0024] In one embodiment, the step of modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal includes:

[0025] A modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction onto the target illumination light to obtain the modulated illumination light signal.

[0026] In one embodiment, the modulation circuit and a driving circuit of a target light source device to which the target illumination light belongs jointly drive the target light source device;

[0027] The method of using a modulation circuit to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction onto the target illumination light to obtain the modulated illumination light signal includes:

[0028] On the basis that the driving circuit drives the target light source device to emit the target illumination light by using the driving electrical signal, the modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction into the driving electrical signal so that the target light source device emits the modulated illumination light signal.

[0029] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0030] Receiving a laser communication signal emitted by the endoscope; the laser communication signal is generated by the laser emitting component of the endoscope performing photoelectric conversion on target data to be transmitted;

[0031] The laser communication signal is photoelectrically converted by the laser receiving component of the light source host to obtain the target data.

[0032] In a second aspect, the present application further provides an optical communication method, which is applied to an endoscope in an endoscope system; the method comprises:

[0033] Receiving a modulated illumination light signal emitted by a light source host in the endoscope system; the modulated illumination light signal is obtained by the light source host in the endoscope system modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted;

[0034] The modulated illumination light signal is demodulated to obtain the control instruction.

[0035] In one embodiment, the light source host includes a plurality of light source devices, and different light source devices may emit illumination lights of different colors;

[0036] The receiving of the modulated illumination light signal emitted by the light source host in the endoscope system comprises:

[0037] Receive the synthetic light signal emitted by the light source host, and extract the modulated lighting light signal from the synthetic light signal; the synthetic light signal is a light signal obtained by the light source host mixing lighting lights of multiple colors including the modulated lighting light signal.

[0038] In one of the embodiments, the endoscope comprises a light-guiding structure, and the light-guiding structure is used to transmit the synthetic optical signal;

[0039] The light guide structure includes a first conductive structure and a second conductive structure; the first conductive structure is used to transmit the synthesized light signal to the illumination window at the end of the endoscope head and emit it out, so as to realize the illumination function of the endoscope;

[0040] The second conducting structure is used to transmit the synthesized light signal to a target photodetector, and the target photodetector is used to demodulate the modulated illumination light signal in the synthesized light signal to obtain the control instruction.

[0041] In one of the embodiments, a ratio of a luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the second conductive structure to a total luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the light guiding structure is less than 3%.

[0042] In one embodiment, extracting the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal comprises:

[0043] Using a target photodetector to filter other light signals in the synthetic light signal to obtain the modulated illumination light signal; or,

[0044] The other optical signals of the signal in the synthetic light are filtered based on the filter to obtain the modulated illumination light signal.

[0045] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0046] The laser emitting component of the endoscope performs photoelectric conversion on the target data to be transmitted, generates a laser communication signal, and transmits the laser communication signal to the light source host; so that the laser receiving component of the light source host performs photoelectric conversion on the received laser communication signal to obtain the target data.

[0047] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a light source host, which is used to implement the steps of any one of the methods in the first aspect.

[0048] In a fourth aspect, the present application further provides an endoscope, which is used to implement the steps of any one of the methods in the second aspect above.

[0049] In a fifth aspect, the present application further provides an optical communication system, the optical communication system comprising the light source host as described in the third aspect and the endoscope as described in the fourth aspect;

[0050] The light source host is used to provide target illumination light to the endoscope;

[0051] The light source host is further used to modulate the target illumination light based on the control instruction when a control instruction needs to be transmitted to the endoscope, and transmit the modulated illumination light signal obtained after the modulation to the endoscope;

[0052] The endoscope is used to demodulate the received modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction;

[0053] The endoscope is further used to generate a laser communication signal based on the photoelectric conversion of the target data when it is necessary to transmit the target data to the light source host, and transmit the laser communication signal to the light source host;

[0054] The light source host is also used to perform photoelectric conversion on the received laser communication signal to obtain the target data.

[0055] In a sixth aspect, the present application further provides an optical communication device, which is applied to an endoscope in an optical communication system; the device comprises:

[0056] A modulation module, used for modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal;

[0057] The transmitting module is used to transmit the modulated illumination light signal to the endoscope in the optical communication system, so that the endoscope can demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction.

[0058] In a seventh aspect, the present application further provides an optical communication device, which is applied to a light source host in an optical communication system; the device comprises:

[0059] A first receiving module is used to receive a modulated illumination light signal emitted by a light source host in the optical communication system; the modulated illumination light signal is obtained by modulating a target illumination light by the light source host in the optical communication system based on a control instruction to be transmitted;

[0060] The demodulation module is used to demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction.

[0061] The above-mentioned optical communication method, light source host, endoscope and optical communication system modulate the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, and transmit the modulated illumination light signal to the endoscope in the endoscope system so that the endoscope can demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction. In the embodiment of the present application, the control instruction to be transmitted is modulated onto the target illumination light in the light source host. In the case where the light emitted by the light source host is prevented from being transmitted to the measured tissue and affecting the illumination of the measured tissue, the control instruction is transmitted by using the modulated illumination light signal. There is no need to add an additional downlink communication light source, which reduces the complexity and cost of the endoscope system design. Moreover, the light source host and the endoscope can be completely separated by transmitting the control instruction of the target illumination light, which simplifies the related optical and mechanical structure design of the light source host when a single-channel bidirectional component is used in the traditional technology, and has good waterproof and corrosion-resistant properties, so as to better meet the requirements of washing, disinfection and extinguishing the mirror body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application or related technical descriptions will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0063] FIG1 is a diagram of an application environment of an optical communication method according to an embodiment;

[0064] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of an optical communication method in one embodiment;

[0065] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the time domain light intensity after the target illumination light is modulated in one embodiment;

[0066] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a process of modulating target illumination light in one embodiment;

[0067] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a process of modulating target illumination light in another embodiment;

[0068] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of an optical communication method in another embodiment;

[0069] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of an optical communication method in one embodiment;

[0070] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of extracting a modulated illumination light signal in one embodiment;

[0071] FIG9 is a block diagram of an optical communication device according to an embodiment;

[0072] FIG. 10 is a structural block diagram of an optical communication device in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0074] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0075] In this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0076] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0077] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “above”, and “above” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below”, “below”, and “below” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0078] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be the only implementation method.

[0079] The information transmitted from the light source host to the endoscope is mainly control instructions at a very low rate. The symmetrical high-speed optical communication (BOSA) in traditional technology is used in endoscopes, and there is a lot of performance redundancy. The use of a 10Gbps high-speed channel is very wasteful when there is only a 10~100MHz demand. In addition, the symmetrical BOSA, as a space optical communication, has very high alignment requirements. The axial deviation of BOSA is at the level of 0.01mm, and the tolerance requirements for optical devices and structural parts in BOSA are quite high. Optical devices need to be specially customized, resulting in high costs.

[0080] The optical communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the application environment shown in FIG1. ​​The application environment includes an endoscope system 10, which includes a light source host 101, an endoscope 102, an image processing device 103 and a display 104, wherein the light source host 101 also includes a modulation circuit 1011, a light receiving component (Receiver OSA, ROSA) 1012, and the endoscope includes a target photodetector (Photodetector, PD) 1021 and a light transmitting component (Transmitter OSA, TOSA) 1022.

[0081] The light source host 101 may include a light source device and an optical element. The light source device is used to generate an illumination light beam of a specific wavelength. The number of light source devices may be one or more, and the type of the light source device may be a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode (LD). After the light source host 101 and the endoscope 102 are successfully connected through their respective connecting parts, the light source host 101 may be used to direct the combined illumination light beam to the end face of the optical guide of the endoscope 102, so that the illumination light is emitted from the illumination window at the head end of the endoscope 102, providing illumination light for the endoscope 102. The image processing device 103 can perform image processing based on the image captured by the endoscope 102, and send the image processing result to the display 104.

[0082] Since it is necessary to control the corresponding light source device to emit light based on the current lighting mode when illuminating the tissue under test, the present application selects the target lighting light from the lighting light corresponding to the current lighting mode, modulates the control instruction to be transmitted to the target lighting light, and transmits the light beams emitted by each light source device to the tissue under test in the cavity, and at the same time, the target lighting light can be used to achieve optical communication. Furthermore, the endoscope can also transmit target data to the light source host so that the image processing device can process the target data and display it on the display.

[0083] Specifically, between the light source host and the endoscope, the information transmitted from the light source host to the endoscope is mainly control instructions, and the rate is very low. When the light source host 101 transmits the control instructions to the endoscope 102, it is based on the modulation circuit 1011 and the target photodetector 1021. The modulation circuit 1011 is used to encode the control instructions to be transmitted onto the target illumination light to obtain a modulated illumination light signal. The target photodetector 1021 demodulates the detected modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instructions. When the endoscope 102 transmits target data such as images and parameters to the light source host 101, the TOSA 1022 is used to convert the target data into a laser communication signal. The ROSA 1012 in the light source host performs photoelectric conversion on the detected laser communication signal to obtain the target data, and transmits the target data to the image processing device 103. The image processing device 103 processes the target data to display it on the display 104.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG2 , an optical communication method is provided, which is described by taking the method applied to the light source host in FIG1 as an example, including the following S201 to S202, in which the light source device is an LED light source as an example.

[0085] S201, modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal.

[0086] The light source host sends a control instruction to the endoscope, and the emitted illumination beam passes through the endoscope to reach the human tissue, and the endoscope is controlled to photograph the human tissue based on the control instruction. Since the absorption and reflection capabilities of various tissues to various lights are different, in order to obtain images of different tissues or parts, the illumination mode of the light source host needs to be set according to the needs. The color of the illumination light emitted by the light source host in each illumination mode is not exactly the same, that is, different illumination modes will use the illumination light emitted by at least one light source device. Optionally, the illumination mode can correspond to only one light source device, or a combination of multiple light source devices, or different color ratios under the same light source device combination. For example, the ratio of red light, green light and blue light in the white light mode can be 1:1:1. The white light mode provides the observation effect of natural light. In gastrointestinal endoscopy, doctors can use the white light mode to observe the color, texture and details of the mucosa in order to detect lesions and the extent of lesions. The special light mode uses specific wavelengths and narrow-band filters to enhance the vascular structure on the mucosal surface. In this mode, the blood vessels on the mucosa will show a more obvious contrast, making it easier for doctors to detect tiny vascular abnormalities and mucosal lesions.

[0087] The control instruction to be transmitted may be a movement instruction for controlling the endoscope to move forward or backward, or an instruction for controlling the image sensor parameters on the endoscope to change, etc. For example, the control instruction corresponding to 00000001 is a zoom instruction, the control instruction corresponding to 0000011 is a forward instruction, and the control instruction corresponding to 0000010 is a backward instruction, etc.

[0088] In the embodiment of the present application, the target illumination light may be the illumination light used in the current illumination mode. For example, if the current illumination mode in the light source host includes red light, the red light may be used as the target illumination light. While the driving circuit drives the red light source to emit the target red light, the electrical signal corresponding to the control instruction to be transmitted is converted into an optical signal, and the control instruction to be transmitted is modulated onto the target red light to obtain a modulated illumination light signal.

[0089] S202, transmitting the modulated illumination light signal to the endoscope in the endoscope system, so that the endoscope demodulates the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0090] In one implementation, when the current illumination mode includes only the target illumination light, the modulated illumination light signal is transmitted to the endoscope in the endoscope system, and the modulated illumination light signal can be directly demodulated to obtain the control instruction. For example, if the modulated illumination light signal is demodulated and the result obtained is 00000001, it is determined that the corresponding control instruction is an amplification instruction.

[0091] In another possible implementation, since each lighting mode uses lighting light emitted by at least one light source device, the current lighting mode may include other lighting lights in addition to the target lighting light, and thus the lighting lights of multiple colors including the modulated lighting light signal may be mixed to obtain a synthetic light signal. The synthetic light signal is transmitted to the endoscope through the light guide structure, and the endoscope extracts the modulated lighting light signal from the synthetic light signal, demodulates the modulated lighting light signal, and obtains the corresponding control instruction.

[0092] On the one hand, transmitting the synthetic light signal to an endoscope in an endoscope system so that the endoscope can extract the modulated illumination light signal from the synthetic light signal can include: transmitting the synthetic light signal to an endoscope in the endoscope system so that the endoscope can filter the modulated illumination light signal from the synthetic light signal through a filter, or filtering the modulated illumination light signal through a target photodetector.

[0093] In an embodiment of the present application, a target photodetector can be used to filter other light signals in the composite light signal to obtain a modulated illumination light signal. For example, when the target illumination light is red light, a target photodetector that can transmit red light can be used to filter other light signals in the composite light signal to obtain a modulated illumination light signal. Alternatively, a filter can be provided to filter other light signals in the composite light signal to obtain a modulated illumination light signal. In an embodiment of the present application, a target photodetector is used to filter other light signals in the composite light signal to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, or a filter is used to filter other light signals in the composite light signal to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, so that the control instructions obtained by parsing the modulated illumination light signal can be more accurate.

[0094] On the other hand, the synthesized light signal is transmitted to the endoscope in the endoscope system so that the endoscope can extract the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal. It can also include separating a preset proportion of the synthesized light signal from the synthesized light signal and obtaining the modulated illumination light signal from the preset proportion of the synthesized light signal.

[0095] The above-mentioned optical communication method, light source host, endoscope and optical communication system modulate the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, and transmit the modulated illumination light signal to the endoscope in the endoscope system so that the endoscope can demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction. In the embodiment of the present application, the control instruction to be transmitted is modulated onto the target illumination light in the light source host. In the case where the light emitted by the light source host is prevented from being transmitted to the measured tissue and affecting the illumination of the measured tissue, the control instruction is transmitted by using the modulated illumination light signal. There is no need to add an additional downlink communication light source, which reduces the complexity and cost of the endoscope system design. Moreover, the light source host and the endoscope can be completely separated by transmitting the control instruction of the target illumination light, which simplifies the related optical and mechanical structure design of the light source host when a single-channel bidirectional component is used in the traditional technology, and has good waterproof and corrosion-resistant properties, so as to better meet the requirements of washing, disinfection and extinguishing the mirror body.

[0096] In one embodiment, a modulated illumination light signal is transmitted to an endoscope in an endoscope system, including: mixing a plurality of color illumination lights including the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a synthetic light signal; transmitting the synthetic light signal to the endoscope so that the endoscope extracts the modulated illumination light signal from the synthetic light signal, and demodulating the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0097] In the embodiment of the present application, the light source host has a variety of light source modes (also referred to as lighting modes) to meet different clinical use requirements. Among them, in different light source modes, the wavelengths covered by the light emitted by the light source host are not exactly the same, that is, the colors of the light emitted by the light source host in different light source modes are not exactly the same, and the light source devices required to be used are not exactly the same. For example, in some embodiments, the light source host can support a normal light mode that emits white light or pseudo-white light, and a special light mode that supports emitting special light (non-white other color monochromatic light or composite light). Therefore, according to the current lighting mode, multiple colors of lighting lights including the modulated lighting light signal are mixed to obtain a synthetic light signal, and the synthetic light signal is emitted to the endoscope. The synthetic light signal is split by using a light guide structure, most of the synthetic light signal is used for lighting, and only a small part of the synthetic light signal is retained for communication. The target photodetector or filter is used to filter other light signals in a small part of the synthetic light signal to obtain a modulated lighting light signal, and the modulated lighting light signal is demodulated to obtain a control instruction.

[0098] In the embodiment of the present application, multiple colors of illumination light including the modulated illumination light signal are mixed to obtain a synthesized light signal; the synthesized light signal is transmitted to the endoscope so that the endoscope can extract the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal, and demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction. Since the target illumination light is only a part of the synthesized light, and the optical power of the modulated illumination light signal obtained based on the target illumination light accounts for only a small proportion of the target illumination light, the modulated illumination light signal finally obtained accounts for a small proportion of the entire synthesized light signal, and optical communication can be achieved without affecting the illumination.

[0099] In one embodiment, a light source host includes multiple light source devices, and different light source devices can emit lighting lights of different colors; the light source host includes multiple lighting modes, wherein each lighting mode uses lighting light emitted by at least one of the light source devices, and the lighting lights used in different lighting modes are not completely the same; the target lighting light is the lighting light determined based on the lighting lights used by multiple lighting modes.

[0100] Among them, the lighting conditions are not completely the same because the light source devices required for use in different lighting modes may be different, that is, the light source devices used in different lighting modes are not completely the same. Different light source devices may be used, or the same light source device may be used, but the color ratios of each light source device are different, so that the color of the emitted lighting light is not completely the same.

[0101] In an embodiment of the present application, the light source host includes multiple lighting modes, wherein each lighting mode uses lighting light emitted by at least one light source device. When determining the target lighting light based on the lighting light used by multiple lighting modes, the lighting light that can cover all lighting modes can be used as the target lighting light; or the lighting light that can cover most lighting modes can be used as the target lighting light; or any lighting light in multiple lighting modes can be used as the target lighting light.

[0102] In a possible implementation, the multiple lighting modes include two types, namely, a first type lighting mode and a second type lighting mode; each lighting mode included in the first type lighting mode uses the first lighting light to be selected; each lighting mode included in the second type lighting mode uses the second lighting light to be selected. When the number of lighting modes included in the first type lighting mode is greater than the number of lighting modes included in the second type lighting mode, and all lighting modes are included in the first type lighting mode and the second type lighting mode, since the electrical signal corresponding to the control instruction is only 10-100 MHz, the optical signal used for optical communication accounts for a very small proportion of the lighting light. In order to simplify the structural design of the light source host and the algorithm processing logic, the first lighting light to be selected can be used as the target lighting light for all lighting modes.

[0103] In an embodiment of the present application, the target illumination light is an illumination light determined based on the illumination light used in multiple illumination modes. The target illumination light can be modulated to obtain a modulated illumination light signal. When the modulated illumination light signal is used to transmit control instructions, it is ensured as much as possible that the transmitted modulated illumination light signal does not affect the illumination of the measured tissue.

[0104] In one embodiment, the target illumination light is illumination light determined according to illumination lights used in multiple illumination modes, which may include the following two situations:

[0105] The first case: The target lighting is the lighting that will be used in all lighting modes.

[0106] In the embodiment of the present application, from the perspective of practical application, in order to reduce the impact of the synthetic light signal on the tested tissue and reduce the complexity and cost of the endoscope system design, the target illumination light needs to cover all illumination modes. Assuming that all illumination modes of the light source host include red light, that is, red light can cover all illumination modes in the light source host, then red light is used as the target illumination light, and if all illumination modes of the light source host include green light, then green light is used as the target illumination light.

[0107] The second case: the target lighting light is the lighting light most used by all lighting modes among all lighting lights included in the currently used lighting mode.

[0108] In the embodiment of the present application, since the target illumination light may not cover all illumination modes in general, in order to reduce the impact of the synthetic light signal on the tested tissue and reduce the complexity and cost of the endoscope system design, the illumination light that covers the most illumination modes can be found from all the illumination lights included in the current illumination mode as the target illumination light. For example, the current illumination mode includes blue light and green light. If the number of illumination modes including green light is greater than the number of illumination modes including blue light, the green light is used as the target illumination light.

[0109] Furthermore, when the modulated illumination light signal is demodulated by the target photodetector, the reception effect of each illumination light by the target photodetector is different. Therefore, when the target illumination light restriction requirements are met, and the target illumination light can be red light, blue light or green light, if only one color is selected as the target illumination light, the priority from high to low is: red light, blue light or green light. For example, in the first case above, if all illumination modes include red light and blue light, red light is preferentially selected as the target illumination light; in the second case above, if the current illumination mode includes blue light and green light, and the number of illumination modes including green light is equal to the number of illumination modes including blue light, blue light is preferentially selected as the target illumination light.

[0110] In the embodiments of the present application, two methods of determining the target illumination light are provided respectively. By determining the target illumination light in this way, it is possible to take into account the requirements of low complexity and low cost of the endoscope system design and the illumination mode of the light source host.

[0111] In one embodiment, before modulating the target lighting light based on the control instruction to be transmitted, the method further includes: selecting the target lighting light from a plurality of preset lighting lights according to the currently used lighting mode; the target lighting light is the lighting light required to be used in the currently used lighting mode.

[0112] The plurality of preset lighting lights are lighting lights required to be used in the currently used lighting mode. For example, lighting mode A includes blue light and green light, and lighting mode B includes blue light, green light and red light. If the current lighting mode is lighting mode A, the preset lighting lights are blue light and green light.

[0113] In the embodiment of the present application, upon receiving the control instruction, the light source host analyzes the currently used lighting mode and analyzes the lighting light corresponding to the current lighting mode. If the lighting light corresponding to the current lighting mode is red light and blue light, red light or blue light is used as the target lighting light; or the number of lighting modes including red light and the number of lighting modes including blue light are determined, and the one covering the larger number of lighting modes of the two lighting lights is used as the target lighting light; or, if the number of blue light and red light lighting modes is the same, based on the preferred selection order of red light, blue light or green light, red light is used as the target lighting light.

[0114] It is also possible that the number of lighting modes covered by each lighting light has been stored in the light source host, that is, when the current lighting mode includes red light and blue light, since it is known that the number of lighting modes including red light is greater than the number of lighting modes including blue light, the target lighting light is directly determined to be red light.

[0115] In another possible implementation, assuming that red light is included in most lighting modes, since it takes a certain amount of time for the light source host to analyze the current lighting mode, red light can be used as a candidate lighting light. When the endoscope is inserted into the light source host, 0.1 milliwatt red light is first used to maintain the continuity of optical communication, and the control command is modulated onto the red light by the modulation circuit. At the same time, the light source host analyzes the current lighting mode, and then determines the target lighting light based on the analysis results, which can reduce the problem of control command communication delay and improve transmission efficiency.

[0116] In an embodiment of the present application, according to the lighting mode currently used, the target lighting light is selected from a plurality of preset lighting lights, and the target lighting light is determined based on the current lighting mode. This allows optical communication to be achieved without affecting the lighting, and there is no need to change the related optical and mechanical structure design of the light source host, thereby effectively reducing the cost of optical communication.

[0117] In one embodiment, modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal includes: using a modulation circuit to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction onto the target illumination light to obtain the modulated illumination light signal.

[0118] In the embodiment of the present application, a modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction to be transmitted onto the target illumination light to obtain a modulated illumination light signal. As shown in FIG3 , the target illumination light is red light, and the electrical signal 10MHz electrical signal corresponding to the control instruction is modulated onto the red light, and the electrical signal is modulated onto the target illumination light by changing the light intensity to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, and the frequency of this modulated illumination light signal is relatively high, and the human eye cannot perceive its on and off changes, and does not affect the illumination of the illumination red light.

[0119] In order to avoid the situation where each light source device in the light source host has different control intensities, the electrical signal corresponding to the control instruction is modulated into a corresponding optical signal, so that the optical signal used for optical communication has the smallest effect on the illumination light, and it is necessary to distinguish whether the change in light intensity is caused by the driving error of the light source device. Therefore, the ratio of the light source intensity of the optical signal used for optical communication to the light source intensity of the illumination light in the illumination mode needs to meet a preset ratio. For example, the ratio is less than 5%.

[0120] Since the switching of light source intensity is instantaneous, the impact on the control instruction is limited, and the fault-tolerant mechanism can be used for verification. For example, the same control instruction can be sent multiple times, and the endoscope verifies whether the current control instruction is credible. If the control instructions sent twice before and after the endoscope detection are inconsistent, the current control instruction is unreliable, and the feedback result is returned to the light source host, and the light source host re-sends the control instruction based on the target illumination light.

[0121] In an embodiment of the present application, a modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction to be transmitted onto the target illumination light to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, thereby laying the foundation for the subsequent transmission of the control instruction based on the modulated illumination light signal.

[0122] In one embodiment, a modulation circuit and a driving circuit of a target light source device to which the target illumination light belongs jointly drive the target light source device; the modulation circuit is used to modulate an electrical signal of a control instruction onto the target illumination light to obtain a modulated illumination light signal, including: on the basis of the driving circuit using a driving electrical signal to drive the target light source device to emit the target illumination light, the modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction into a driving electrical signal so that the target light source device emits a modulated illumination light signal.

[0123] In the embodiment of the present application, for example, the target illumination light includes red light, and the driver of the red light includes a driving circuit and a modulation circuit. Assuming that the current illumination mode of the light source host includes red light, and the red light is the target illumination light, as shown in FIG4 , on the basis of the driving circuit using the driving electrical signal to drive the target light source device to emit the target illumination light, the modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal corresponding to the control instruction to be transmitted to the target illumination light, that is, the electrical signal of the control instruction is converted into an optical signal, and modulated to the target illumination light obtained by driving based on the driving electrical signal, so as to obtain a modulated illumination light signal.

[0124] In a possible implementation, since the target lighting light cannot cover all lighting modes, multiple lighting lights to be selected can be set in the light source host. As shown in FIG5 , the light source host includes a first lighting light to be selected, which is red light, and a second lighting light to be selected, which is green light. For each lighting light to be selected, a corresponding modulation circuit and a driving circuit are included. If the target lighting light determined based on the above-mentioned determination method of the target lighting light is red light, the red LED is driven to emit light based on the driving circuit and modulation circuit corresponding to the red light; if the target lighting light is green light, the green LED is driven to emit light based on the driving circuit and modulation circuit corresponding to the green light.

[0125] Optionally, the modulation circuit may be an optical physical layer (Physical Layer, optical PHY).

[0126] In an embodiment of the present application, based on the driving circuit using a driving electrical signal to drive the target light source device to emit a target illumination light, a modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction into the driving electrical signal, so that the target light source device emits a modulated illumination light signal. The control instruction is modulated by a modulation circuit independent of the driving circuit, so that the adjustment of the target illumination light can be more precise and accurate, and there is no need to make too many adjustments to the original illumination circuit in the light source host, thereby effectively reducing costs and being better compatible with existing light source hosts.

[0127] FIG6 is a flow chart of an optical communication method in another embodiment, as shown in FIG6 , comprising the following steps:

[0128] S601, receiving a laser communication signal emitted by an endoscope; the laser communication signal is generated by the laser emitting component of the endoscope performing photoelectric conversion on target data to be transmitted.

[0129] Optionally, the target data may be image data collected by the endoscope, or may be parameter information of the endoscope itself, fault data of the endoscope, etc.

[0130] In the embodiment of the present application, taking the target data as image data as an example, the camera on the endoscope collects image data of the tested tissue, that is, image electrical signals, and sends the collected image data to the laser emitting component TOSA. The function of TOSA is mainly to convert the image electrical signals into laser communication signals, and transmit the laser communication signals to the light source host through the light guiding structure.

[0131] Optionally, the type of TOSA can be SC / LC / FC / ST TOSA, and the components included in TOSA are optical isolator, monitoring photodiode, LD driving circuit, thermistor, thermoelectric cooler, automatic temperature control circuit ATC, automatic power control circuit APT. All the above components are packaged in a compact structure (TO coaxial package or butterfly package) and then constitute TOSA.

[0132] S602, performing photoelectric conversion on the laser communication signal through the laser receiving component of the light source host to obtain target data.

[0133] In this embodiment, the laser receiving assembly ROSA performs photoelectric conversion on the detected laser communication signal through the photoelectric effect to obtain target data. For example, the TOSA in the endoscope sends the laser communication signal to the ROSA, and the ROSA performs photoelectric conversion on the laser communication signal to obtain an image electrical signal, and transmits the image electrical signal to the image processing device for the image processing device to analyze and process the image electrical signal.

[0134] Optionally, the main component of ROSA is the photodetector. In high data rate optical modules, PIN photodiodes, avalanche photodiodes APDs, and TIAs are usually assembled in a sealed metal housing to form the optical receiving component ROSA. Avalanche photodiodes APDs are highly sensitive photodetectors that use the avalanche multiplication effect to double the photocurrent. Compared with PIN photodiodes, the sensitivity of avalanche photodiode APD receivers can be increased by 6-10dB.

[0135] TOSA and ROSA are inexpensive, and the emission angle of TOSA monomer is large, and the receiving area of ​​ROSA monomer is also large, so the alignment accuracy requirements of the two are low, and the axis deviation at the 1mm level does not affect the communication effect, and the requirements for its supporting structural parts are low. Therefore, the overall cost can be reduced by about 10 times; with high integration, it can achieve the transmission of signals at a rate of tens of Gbps on an optical path, and transmit high-definition image data from the mirror body to the light source host, and the rate can be further improved with the improvement of TOSA and ROSA, such as 25Gbps. Therefore, the asymmetric TOSA and ROSA have a greater cost reduction than the symmetrical BOSA, with a simple appearance and structure, easy to install, and extremely low requirements for the alignment of the light source host and the optical components in the endoscope, easy to operate and maintain, and high reliability.

[0136] Furthermore, TOSA is equipped with a light guide column, and ROSA is equipped with a sleeve, which guides the light source host and the endoscope to align based on the light guide column and the sleeve. Optionally, the light guide column and the sleeve can be made of plastic; since the endoscope needs to be cleaned and disinfected before and after use, it needs to meet certain waterproof properties, and the outer surface of the light guide column can also be a metal outer surface, which is convenient for the cleaning and disinfection of the endoscope, avoiding the problem that when the light source host and the endoscope are communicated by electrical connection (metal contacts), the metal contacts are prone to corrosion and rust over time and with the increasing number of cleanings, which may eventually lead to communication failures; the sleeve is a plastic sleeve, which is convenient for electrical isolation from the metal light guide column of the endoscope, and meets the installation requirements required for BF type applications.

[0137] Furthermore, the contact surfaces of the mirror body light guide column and the sleeve are both glass windows, and are coated with an anti-reflection film, which can reduce laser transmission loss, enhance laser communication stability, reduce laser reflection, and help improve the reliability of TOSA.

[0138] In the embodiment of the present application, the laser communication signal emitted by the endoscope is received, and the laser communication signal is photoelectrically converted through the laser receiving component of the light source host to obtain the target data, which can realize short-distance high-speed spatial channel data transmission. The optical communication rate is high, which meets the requirements of uplink transmission from the endoscope to the light source host in the medical field. Moreover, based on the above embodiment, the light source host and the endoscope can transmit data to each other. The communication system has strong adaptability and can be upgraded accordingly for different transmission scenarios.

[0139] FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an optical communication method in another embodiment, the method is applied to an endoscope in the endoscope system of FIG. 1 , and as shown in FIG. 7 , comprises the following steps:

[0140] S701, receiving a modulated illumination light signal emitted by a light source host in an endoscope system; the modulated illumination light signal is obtained by the light source host in the endoscope system modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted;

[0141] S702, demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0142] The specific implementation method of the embodiment of the present application can refer to the specific implementation method shown in Figure 2 above.

[0143] In the embodiment of the present application, the control instruction to be transmitted is modulated onto the target illumination light in the light source host. In order to avoid the light emitted by the light source host from being transmitted to the tested tissue and affecting the illumination of the tested tissue, the control instruction is transmitted by modulating the illumination light signal. There is no need to add an additional downlink communication light source, which reduces the complexity and cost of the endoscope system design. Moreover, the light source host and the endoscope can be completely separated by transmitting the control instruction of the target illumination light, which simplifies the related optical and mechanical structure design of the light source host when a single-channel bidirectional component is used in the traditional technology, and has good waterproof and corrosion-resistant properties, so as to better meet the requirements of washing, disinfection and sterilization of the mirror body.

[0144] In one embodiment, a light source host includes multiple light source devices, and different light source devices may emit illumination lights of different colors; receiving a modulated illumination light signal emitted by the light source host in an endoscope system includes: receiving a synthetic light signal emitted by the light source host, and extracting the modulated illumination light signal from the synthetic light signal; the synthetic light signal is a light signal obtained by the light source host mixing illumination lights of multiple colors including the modulated illumination light signal.

[0145] The specific implementation method of the embodiment of the present application can refer to the above-mentioned specific implementation method of "mixing multiple colors of illumination light including a modulated illumination light signal to obtain a synthetic light signal; transmitting the synthetic light signal to the endoscope so that the endoscope can extract the modulated illumination light signal from the synthetic light signal, and demodulating the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction".

[0146] In one embodiment, an endoscope includes a light-guiding structure for transmitting a synthetic light signal; the light-guiding structure includes a first conductive structure and a second conductive structure; the first conductive structure is used to transmit the synthetic light signal to an illumination window at an end of the endoscope head and emit it, so as to realize the illumination function of the endoscope; the second conductive structure is used to transmit the synthetic light signal to a target photodetector, and the target photodetector is used to demodulate the modulated illumination light signal in the synthetic light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0147] The ratio of the luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the second conductive structure to the total luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the light guiding structure is less than 3%.

[0148] In the embodiment of the present application, taking the ratio of the luminous flux of the synthesized light signal transmitted by the second conductive structure to the total luminous flux as 1% as an example, as shown in Figure 8, the synthesized light signal is transmitted from the light source host to the endoscope through the mirror body light guide column and the light guide structure. The light guide structure has a light splitting effect, and the light guide structure is set as a first conductive structure and a second conductive structure. The second conductive structure is used to separate 1% of the synthesized light signal from the synthesized light signal for communication, and the first conductive structure is used to separate 99% of the synthesized light signal for lighting.

[0149] Furthermore, a filter is used to filter other optical signals in the 1% synthetic optical signal to obtain a modulated illumination optical signal, and the modulated illumination optical signal is demodulated using a target photodetector to obtain a control instruction.

[0150] In the embodiment of the present application, through the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure, as much of the synthesized light signal as possible is used for lighting, and only a part of the synthesized light signal is reserved for optical communication, so that the impact of optical communication on real lighting is minimized.

[0151] In one embodiment, extracting the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal includes: using a target photodetector to filter other light signals in the synthesized light signal to obtain the modulated illumination light signal; or, filtering other light signals in the synthesized light signal based on a filter to obtain the modulated illumination light signal.

[0152] For the specific implementation method of the embodiment of the present application, please refer to the embodiment corresponding to the above S202.

[0153] In one embodiment, the method also includes: based on the laser emitting component of the endoscope, the target data to be transmitted is subjected to photoelectric conversion to generate a laser communication signal, and the laser communication signal is transmitted to the light source host; so that the laser receiving component of the light source host performs photoelectric conversion on the received laser communication signal to obtain the target data.

[0154] The specific implementation method of the embodiment of the present application can refer to the specific implementation method shown in the above-mentioned Figure 6.

[0155] It should be understood that, although the various steps in the flowcharts involved in the above-mentioned embodiments are displayed in sequence according to the indication of the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in sequence according to the order indicated by the arrows. Unless there is a clear explanation in this article, the execution of these steps does not have a strict order restriction, and these steps can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least a part of the steps in the flowcharts involved in the above-mentioned embodiments can include multiple steps or multiple stages, and these steps or stages are not necessarily executed at the same time, but can be executed at different times, and the execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily to be carried out in sequence, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least a part of the steps or stages in other steps.

[0156] In an exemplary embodiment, an optical communication device is provided, as shown in FIG9 , and the device is applied to a light source host in an optical communication system; the device includes:

[0157] A modulation module 91, configured to modulate the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal;

[0158] The transmitting module 92 is used to transmit the modulated illumination light signal to the endoscope in the optical communication system, so that the endoscope can demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0159] In one embodiment, the transmitting module 92 is used to mix multiple colors of illumination light including a modulated illumination light signal to obtain a synthetic light signal; transmit the synthetic light signal to the endoscope so that the endoscope can extract the modulated illumination light signal from the synthetic light signal, and demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0160] In one embodiment, the light source host includes multiple light source devices, and different light source devices can emit lighting lights of different colors; the light source host includes multiple lighting modes, wherein each lighting mode uses lighting light emitted by at least one light source device, and the lighting light used in different lighting modes is not exactly the same; the target lighting light is the lighting light determined based on the lighting lights used by multiple lighting modes.

[0161] In one embodiment, the target illumination light is illumination light determined according to illumination lights used in a plurality of illumination modes, including: the target illumination light is illumination light used in all illumination modes.

[0162] In one embodiment, the target lighting light is lighting light determined according to lighting lights used by a plurality of lighting modes, including: the target lighting light is lighting light most used by all lighting modes among all lighting lights included in the currently used lighting mode.

[0163] In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises:

[0164] The selection module is used to select a target lighting light from a plurality of preset lighting lights according to the lighting mode currently used; the target lighting light is the lighting light required to be used in the lighting mode currently used.

[0165] In one embodiment, the modulation module is further used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction onto the target illumination light using a modulation circuit to obtain a modulated illumination light signal.

[0166] In one embodiment, the modulation module is also used to use a modulation circuit to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction into the driving electrical signal on the basis that the driving circuit drives the target light source device to emit the target illumination light using the driving electrical signal, so that the target light source device emits a modulated illumination light signal.

[0167] In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises:

[0168] The second receiving module is used to receive the laser communication signal emitted by the endoscope; the laser communication signal is generated by the laser emitting component of the endoscope performing photoelectric conversion on the target data to be transmitted;

[0169] The first conversion module is used to perform photoelectric conversion on the laser communication signal through the laser receiving component of the light source host to obtain target data.

[0170] In an exemplary embodiment, an optical communication device is provided, as shown in FIG10 , and the device is applied to an endoscope in an optical communication system; the device includes:

[0171] The first receiving module 93 is used to receive a modulated illumination light signal emitted by a light source host in the optical communication system; the modulated illumination light signal is obtained by modulating the target illumination light by the light source host in the optical communication system based on the control instruction to be transmitted;

[0172] The demodulation module 94 is used to demodulate the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0173] In one embodiment, the first receiving module 93 is also used to receive the synthetic light signal emitted by the light source host and extract the modulated lighting light signal from the synthetic light signal; the synthetic light signal is a light signal obtained by the light source host mixing multiple colors of lighting light including the modulated lighting light signal.

[0174] In one embodiment, the endoscope includes a light-guiding structure for transmitting a synthetic optical signal;

[0175] The light guide structure includes a first guide structure and a second guide structure; the first guide structure is used to transmit the synthesized light signal to the illumination window at the end of the endoscope head and emit it out to realize the illumination function of the endoscope;

[0176] The second conducting structure is used to transmit the synthesized light signal to the target photodetector, and the target photodetector is used to demodulate the modulated illumination light signal in the synthesized light signal to obtain a control instruction.

[0177] In one embodiment, a ratio of a luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the second conductive structure to a total luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the light guiding structure is less than 3%.

[0178] In one embodiment, the first receiving module 93 is further configured to filter other optical signals in the synthesized optical signal using a target photodetector to obtain a modulated illumination optical signal; or

[0179] The other optical signals of the signal in the synthetic light are filtered based on the filter to obtain a modulated illumination light signal.

[0180] In one embodiment, the apparatus further comprises:

[0181] The second conversion module is used to perform photoelectric conversion on the target data to be transmitted based on the laser emitting component of the endoscope, generate a laser communication signal, and transmit the laser communication signal to the light source host; so that the laser receiving component of the light source host can obtain the target data after performing photoelectric conversion on the received laser communication signal.

[0182] In an exemplary embodiment, a light source host is provided, and the light source host is used to implement the embodiments corresponding to the above-mentioned FIG. 2 to FIG. 6 .

[0183] In an exemplary embodiment, an endoscope is provided, which is used to implement the embodiments corresponding to the above-mentioned Figures 7-8.

[0184] In an exemplary embodiment, an optical communication system is provided, which includes the above-mentioned light source host and an endoscope; the light source host is used to provide target illumination light to the endoscope; the light source host is also used to modulate the target illumination light based on the control instruction when it is necessary to transmit a control instruction to the endoscope, and transmit the modulated illumination light signal obtained after modulation to the endoscope; the endoscope is used to demodulate the received modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction; the endoscope is also used to generate a laser communication signal by photoelectric conversion based on the target data when it is necessary to transmit target data to the light source host, and transmit the laser communication signal to the light source host; the light source host is also used to perform photoelectric conversion on the received laser communication signal to obtain the target data.

[0185] For specific implementation methods, please refer to the embodiments corresponding to Figures 2 to 8 above.

[0186] In the embodiment of the present application, the control instruction to be transmitted is modulated onto the target illumination light in the light source host. In order to avoid the light emitted by the light source host from being transmitted to the tested tissue and affecting the illumination of the tested tissue, the control instruction is transmitted by modulating the illumination light signal. There is no need to add an additional downlink communication light source, which reduces the complexity and cost of the endoscope system design. Moreover, the target data is photoelectrically converted to generate a laser communication signal, and the requirement of transmitting the target data from the endoscope to the light source host is realized based on the laser communication signal, which can realize short-distance high-speed spatial channel data transmission. The optical communication rate is high, which meets the requirements of uplink transmission from the endoscope to the light source host in the medical field.

[0187] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this application.

[0188] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An optical communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a light source host in an endoscope system; the method comprises: modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal; The modulated illumination light signal is transmitted to an endoscope in the endoscope system, so that the endoscope demodulates the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The light source host includes a plurality of light source devices, and different light source devices can emit illumination lights of different colors; The method of transmitting the modulated illumination light signal to an endoscope in the endoscope system comprises: Mixing a plurality of colors of illumination lights including the modulated illumination light signal to obtain a composite light signal; The synthesized light signal is transmitted to the endoscope, so that the endoscope extracts the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal and demodulates the modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The light source host includes a plurality of light source devices, and the colors of the illumination light emitted by different light source devices are not completely the same; the light source host includes a plurality of illumination modes, wherein each of the illumination modes uses illumination light emitted by at least one of the light source devices, and the illumination light used in different illumination modes is not completely the same; The target illumination light is illumination light determined based on illumination lights used in the plurality of illumination modes.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The target illumination light is illumination light determined according to the illumination lights used in the plurality of illumination modes, including: The target illumination light is illumination light used in all the illumination modes.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The target illumination light is illumination light determined according to the illumination lights used in the plurality of illumination modes, including: The target illumination light is the illumination light most used by all the illumination modes among all the illumination lights included in the currently used illumination modes.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The light source host includes multiple lighting modes, wherein each lighting mode uses lighting light emitted by at least one light source device, and the lighting light used in different lighting modes is not completely the same; Before modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted, the method further includes: According to the currently used lighting mode, selecting the target lighting light from a plurality of preset lighting lights; The target lighting light is the lighting light required to be used in the lighting mode currently used.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method of modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted to obtain a modulated illumination light signal includes: A modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction onto the target illumination light to obtain the modulated illumination light signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The modulation circuit and the driving circuit of the target light source device to which the target illumination light belongs jointly drive the target light source device; The method of using a modulation circuit to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction onto the target illumination light to obtain the modulated illumination light signal includes: On the basis that the driving circuit drives the target light source device to emit the target illumination light by using the driving electrical signal, the modulation circuit is used to modulate the electrical signal of the control instruction into the driving electrical signal so that the target light source device emits the modulated illumination light signal.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Receiving a laser communication signal emitted by the endoscope; the laser communication signal is generated by the laser emitting component of the endoscope performing photoelectric conversion on target data to be transmitted; The laser communication signal is photoelectrically converted by the laser receiving component of the light source host to obtain the target data.

10. An optical communication method, characterized in that: The method is applied to an endoscope in an endoscope system; the method comprises: Receiving a modulated illumination light signal emitted by a light source host in the endoscope system; the modulated illumination light signal is obtained by the light source host in the endoscope system modulating the target illumination light based on the control instruction to be transmitted; The modulated illumination light signal is demodulated to obtain the control instruction.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The light source host includes a plurality of light source devices, and different light source devices can emit illumination lights of different colors; The receiving of the modulated illumination light signal emitted by the light source host in the endoscope system comprises: Receiving the synthesized light signal emitted by the light source host, and extracting the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal; The synthetic light signal is a light signal obtained by the light source host mixing illumination lights of multiple colors including the modulated illumination light signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The endoscope comprises a light-guiding structure, and the light-guiding structure is used to transmit the synthetic optical signal; The light guide structure includes a first conductive structure and a second conductive structure; the first conductive structure is used to transmit the synthesized light signal to the illumination window at the end of the endoscope head and emit it out, so as to realize the illumination function of the endoscope; The second conducting structure is used to transmit the synthesized light signal to a target photodetector, and the target photodetector is used to demodulate the modulated illumination light signal in the synthesized light signal to obtain the control instruction.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that A ratio of a luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the second conductive structure to a total luminous flux of the composite light signal transmitted by the light guiding structure is less than 3%.

14. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The extracting the modulated illumination light signal from the synthesized light signal comprises: Using a target photodetector to filter other light signals in the synthetic light signal to obtain the modulated illumination light signal; or, The other optical signals of the signal in the synthetic light are filtered based on the filter to obtain the modulated illumination light signal.

15. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method further comprises: The laser emitting component of the endoscope performs photoelectric conversion on the target data to be transmitted, generates a laser communication signal, and transmits the laser communication signal to the light source host; so that the laser receiving component of the light source host performs photoelectric conversion on the received laser communication signal to obtain the target data.

16. A light source host, characterized in that: The light source host is used to implement the steps of any one of the methods of claims 1 to 9.

17. An endoscope, characterized in that: The endoscope is used to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 10 to 15.

18. An optical communication system, characterized in that: The system comprises a light source host as claimed in claim 16 and an endoscope as claimed in claim 17; The light source host is used to provide target illumination light to the endoscope; The light source host is further used to modulate the target illumination light based on the control instruction when a control instruction needs to be transmitted to the endoscope, and transmit the modulated illumination light signal obtained after the modulation to the endoscope; The endoscope is used to demodulate the received modulated illumination light signal to obtain the control instruction; The endoscope is further used to generate a laser communication signal based on the photoelectric conversion of the target data when it is necessary to transmit the target data to the light source host, and transmit the laser communication signal to the light source host; The light source host is also used to perform photoelectric conversion on the received laser communication signal to obtain the target data.

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